英语课程计划-International Migrants Day

International Migrants Day takes place on the 18th of December every year. It is on this date because this is when, in 1990, the United Nations adopted an international convention¹ called the Protection of the Rights of all Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families. The UN felt it needed to do something about the rights of migrants as more and more people left their own countries to seek work. On this day, many countries and NGOs conduct workshops to highlight² the rights of immigrants³. The U.N also wants people to recognize the value of migrant workers. They make a huge contribution to the countries in which they work. They also face hardships and discrimination. In some cases, they are more or less seen as slave labour.

Globalization has greatly increased migration⁴. Three decades ago, the number of people moving overseas to work or find work stood at 75 million. This figure has shot up to 200 million and is still rising. As the world is getting smaller, more and more people are relocating. There are two main types of migration; legal and illegal. Both have positive and negative effects on host countries. The issue of illegal immigration is frequently in the headlines. People in poorer countries risk their lives to escape poverty and other life-threatening situations. Their dream is to find work and help their families. They are often at the mercy of human traffickers who care very little for their safety. It is time the world does more to protect these people.

1 convention   

n.惯例，习俗，常规，会议，大会

参考例句：

• How many delegates have checked in at the convention?大会已有多少代表报到？
• He sets at naught every convention of society.他轻视所有的社会习俗。

2 highlight   

n.加亮区；v.加亮，强调；[计算机]醒目

参考例句：

• Her performance was the highlight of the show.她的表演是那场演出中最精彩的部分。
• The highlight of this term is the school trip to Austria.这学期最重要的活动就是去奥地利的校外旅行。

3 immigrants   

n.移民( immigrant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Illegal immigrants were given the opportunity to regularize their position. 非法移民得到了使其身份合法化的机会。
• Immigrants from all over the world populate this city. 这个城市里生活着来自世界各地的移民。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 migration   

n.迁移，移居，（鸟类等的）迁徙

参考例句：

• Swallows begin their migration south in autumn.燕子在秋季开始向南方迁移。
• He described the vernal migration of birds in detail.他详细地描述了鸟的春季移居。